Opt to Adopt at Humane Society of Atlantic County

Adopting furry friends in Atlantic City, NJ

If you are interested in adopting from HSAC, there are a few things you should know.

If you currently have a dog at home, it is strongly recommended that you bring your pet in to meet with the animal you are planning to adopt. This will be a requirement for most adoptions (and required for ALL dog/puppy adoptions) done here at our facility. It is very stressful for humans and pets when things don't work out after the new pet has arrived. A vet and/or home check may be required.

In order for us to be able to adopt an animal to you, we will need for you to bring a valid state-issued photo I.D. and documentation about your residence. If you rent, we must see a lease agreement stating that pets are allowed on the property. If you own your home, we must see proof of ownership - a tax bill, deed or mortgage coupon. We cannot accept utility bills or any other form of address verification.

We accept cash and major credit cards. Personal checks are not accepted. Links to the downloadable pre-adoption forms are provided below. Please fill out your adoption form completely, as any incomplete forms will only delay the process further.

Prices and policies are subject to change at management's discretion. Adoptions of pit bulls and mixes must be approved by management for the safety of the dogs.

If you have adopted from us recently or in the past and would like to tell us how we are doing, please fill out our online adoption survey. The Humane Society of Atlantic County is always looking for ways to improve, and we appreciate all the feedback we can get!

Policy on Reserving Animals for Adoption

The HSAC has a policy where we don't put any hold on an animal that is available or unavailable for adoption. Adoption applications are processed on a first come first served basis.

Since the HSAC has a process of screening for medical and temperament issues, there will be animals in our kennel that are not yet offered for adoption. These animals are not available for “meet and greet” with customers or other animals because their screening has not been completed. Only healthy, temperamentally sound animals can be taken out and met by the general public.

Each client that has an interest in an animal that is not yet available can request to have their information entered into the animal’s file as “interested party.” This is not a hold or anything more than a note that the individual is interested. When all testing is completed and the animal becomes available for adoption, all parties listed in the pet’s file will be called and notified that the animal is available. We process adoption applications in person only and do not process applications submitted by email or fax.

It should be understood that interest in some animals could be very high and several people may come to the HSAC at the same time to do an adoption for a specific animal. When that is the case, adoption applications will be processed in the order submitted. If several people come at the same time, the application will be processed in the order in which the client was entered into the animal’s file as “interested party.” The program used for shelter adoptions lists the interested parties in order of entry so when there are multiple people here at the same time the computer program’s entry order will be used. Not all applicants are approved and when an application is not approved, we will move to the next person.

It must also be noted that paperwork needed to process the application must be submitted at the time of application. If paperwork cannot be verified, the staff will move to the next applicant.

If the application is to adopt a dog, all other dogs in the home must be present to do a meet and greet. If the other household dogs are not present and there are multiple applicants, we will move to the next applicant.

These policies have been put in place so we can be as fair as possible when it comes to who gets to adopt an animal from HSAC, especially when multiple people want the same pet at the same time.